Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-05-11
A STORY or THE LAKES.


tetttbus Times, Nufu oiNthtfN ~htiOfn
Receive the Hull Pay Of n Captain.
I'm an able seaman. | am. and no
better ever slowed a fore royal. but Sl3 a
month don't get me to sign in such
weather as this. l kin tell yer. | didn't
refuse 81 a day ter ship in December 10
take less than one-tenth Of that ere sum
In March. Yer may call me a lum or
anything yer like, young teller, but on
my last trip | had captains wages, AMI
guess ther December gales hain't no wuss
than these ere March winds"
The speaker, a little dri~l up old fellow,
had applied at a down town station house
for lodging, and the above was in answer
10 a question from a reporter who was
present and asked him what his business
IA The fellows assertion that he lad
received a captains pay for a sailors
work, and that he had refused more h
a captains pay, provoked the sergeant at
the desk. and he babe the seeker after
shelter to get out, saying that n man who
would lie would steal. Something in the
man, however, interested the reporter,
and he followed him out into the buster
ing night wind.
mo one ever gains anything by lying
70 an officer" the reporter vcntured TO
remark as he helped the old man open
the outer door Of the station.
"Lyin'! lynn! who darcs say I'm a
YIN! | hain't ter blame fer the iger-
nance o tibet ere Teller, he |: Kin I
help if his edoocation is so limited tibet he
-. I..- ~ a.. = ,.a,,1 ,rbat,
sailors gifts more money than captains
in'"-
.'See here, my friend" returned the
reporter, Il am just as ignorant. Now,
Il YOU will tell me how, when and why
a sailor is thus used l will see you COM
fortably fixed for bed and food for the
rest Of the week"
well, young teller, il / was con.
tortably fixed l could do it. but out ere
in this ere bitin' wind-ugh. it amt ter
be tho't Of"
The scribe took the hint. and after get
ting the old salt thawed out and well fed
az a Cherry street hotel, was told the fol-
lowing facts, of which up to that time he
had never before heard: About the lat
ter part Of November or the first Of De-
cember in each year the ships engaged in
navigating the great lakes hurry toward
their destination 10 escape the December
gales. The chances are about one To six
when a vessel quits a harbor at this time
0: the year that she will never I've seen
again. A sailor estimates that his chances
f getting back 10 his family are about
five out Of six. Merchants and manu-
facturers are solicitors about their
cargues, Shippers would feel much safer
il their coal or grain or ore was on the
piers. Nothing Is more ~trrachtrulIs than
the weather that hOvers over the five
great lakes and is ready 10 send a ship 40
the bottom on ten minutes notice. 1t is
a matter Of history that gales have
sprung up on Lake Superior and Lake
Huron and wrecked vessels before the
wleelmen could shift their course n single
point. The insurance ON all vessels ex-
pires about Nov. IS, and in consequence
owners are anxious TO get their craft into
a safe harhor.
Commencing about Nov. /. sailors be
longing 10 the union receive 81 per day.
Thusc employed 10y :he Vessclmen 5 asso-
citation are paid from 1915 Ia 81 per day.
They are hired from trip to trip, and the
association pays whatever il is obliged 10.
Four dollars per day is said a. h. the
average pay drawn 10y seamen during the
last three. four OF five weeks of naviga-
ton. The captains and mates do not
profit c~orrrspondingly. because they are
paid 80 much a month for the season.
which means from the time the vessel
leaves port in the spring TO the time she
is chained up for the winter. The
sailors wages fluctuate, and Just before
the final tie up they often earn better pay
than the captain. To venture on the
lakes after Nov. % is virtually to take
ones life in his Owl hand. The fright
full disasters and heavy loss Of life attend
ing the close Of navigation last December
has not bcn equaled in many wears. 4
season on the lakes never winds up with
out many casualties and a great loss Of
life. The sailors know this, and yet the
cheerful jingle If the gold induces some
Of them to take the risk and helps 10 heal
unpleasant memories of hardship if they
Cptils udCh SHE anu soullu' otltTS tdlliiOl
he induced to ship even by til" offer Of
80 per day. but they will sit around the
cheerful crate fires that spnttrr and
rracklr in the big offices and warehouses
along the river waste at the different
ports and spin yarns about the fearful
gales they have weathsred in the past.
Some Of these stories bring tears into the
eyes Of men whose hearts are vaguely
supposed to b. Of flint. Others are anus
ing and are generally told al the expense
If some other sailor. In this way they
pas the winter, content To H. ordinary
land lubbers until the ice gets out Of the
way in the spring time and they can
venture out beyond the ~breakwater With
out fear Of being swamped. New York
Nh 81 -.